"Where Philosophy and Military walk hand in hand."

One should note that the structure of TRES Corps is largely based in
role-play. This is simply a matter of expediency -- military organization
seems the easiest method of description as it is clear, concise, and
practical.
Experience has shown that communication is the key to maintaining a
viable organization and camaraderie between members. As such, no officer
will ever be denied the ear of a more experienced Jihaddi. Time may not
permit this person to respond directly, but flat refusal to listen to other
members is a serious offense that threatens the foundation of our group.
In contradiction to military organizations, TRES members are under
no obligation to obey arbitrary or non-sensical commands from someone with a
larger title than theirs. Rank, and the implied ability to give an order,
is based on experience, knowledge, and general maturity.
In the case of someone abusing their title or acting irrationally,
any member of the Corps is free to disregard them. It should be stressed
one must have a justification for ignoring a reasonable request and not do
so for reasons equally as arbitrary as an abuse of title. In other words,
rationality and reason are paramount in every interaction.

One should note: membership in TRES Corps is conditional upon living
within the rules and conventions of the org. If in the opinion of the
Admiralty, a member has sufficiently violated our rules then that member
will be asked to leave, or dropped from our logs and denied access to our
resources.

In sum, the Rule of Reason:

1) TRES personnel are expected to follow the orders/requests of
their superiors until such time as they become irrational, unreasonable, or
spongified. At such time, they are free to disregard them.

2) TRES personnel in a position to make authoritative requests of
other members are obligated to support their words with articulate reasons,
critically so when challenged. Authority which cannot be justified is null
and void.

?Ranks?

TRES, arranged as a military outfit, does not detract from the
philosophy standard which guides the actions of officers. Officers are
promoted/demoted on the basis of merit in all forms. Communication between
officers is thought to be the key to a lasting camaraderie within the ranks,
and no officer will be denied the ear of experience, and are constantly
encouraged to ask questions when there is confusion.

TRES Corps uses a rough equivalent of the 19th Century United States'
naval ranking system. From highest to lowest are as follows:

Title:

Duties:

Grand Admiral

Guides Squadron Leaders, Corps, Advises

Admiral

Guides their Squadron, advises Grand Admiral

Vice Admiral

may guide a Squadron, advises Grand Admiral

Rear Admiral

may guide a Squadron, advises Grand Admiral

Commodore

may guide a Squadron, advises Grand Admiral

Captain

general duties

Commander

general duties

Lieutenant Commander

general duties

Lieutenant

general duties

Lieutenant Junior Grade

general duties

Ensign

general duties

Recruit

general duties

General duties consist of maintaining an active presence in the
Jihad via a chosen method of action. One is free to choose their own
methods and it is considered inappropriate for one's method to be assigned
by another.
In other words, if you're bored an don't know what to do, it is your
own fault. Remaining interested and entertained is no one's responsibility
but your own.
The only ranks which come with any additional expectations are
Commodore and above. These should not be perceived as an implicit "don't
share your opinion with the Grand Admiral until you are a Commodore" or as a
barrier to communication. Members are free to provide feedback and
suggestions as the guy heading this org is a human just like everyone else
and cannot see possibilities others might.
The reason additional duties are placed on the higher ranks is that
these people have proven their merit repeatedly and are known to have
valuable feedback and commentary. This is not to say those of lower ranks
are unworthy or lack ideas; they are simply someone with whom the Grand
Admiral is less familiar and/or has not witnessed enough activity to merit a
higher rank. More on this under the section "promotions."

?Promotions?

As stated earlier, members are promoted/demoted on all *observable*
merits/flaws. (We can't make a decision on no evidence, can we? :) )The
final decision to promote/demote someone is made by the Corps' leader, Grand
Admiral Davies, and all members of the Admiralty are free to recommend
someone of a lesser or equal rank be promoted.
If you are interested in being promoted, the following things tend
to work:

- thoughtful posts to ab4d
- building things (web pages, programs, R&D, art work, etc.)
- writing (essays, fiction, character profiles, etc.)
- just about anything which is a contribution of some form or other
to the Corps or Jihad.

?Squadrons?

TRES Corps is currently divided into 5 squadrons: Alpha, Chi, Kappa,
Omega, and Zeta. Zeta is the only squadron with a specialization:
research and development.
Here's who is currently in command of each squadron:

Alpha

Grand Admiral Davies

Chi

Admiral Keith

Kappa

Admiral J-Rock

Omega

Admiral Felton

Zeta

Admiral Svartalf

?Can I join another JAO?

The answer to this is not a simple yes or no. In the case where
efforts in another organization would largely be redundant or duplicated
from what you can do in the Corps, the answer is 'no.' If the organization
has as its main theme something outside of the Corps' general focus, the
answer is 'yes.' Members seeking positions in other orgs are expected to
petition the Grand Admiral as a matter of courtesy.
The below is a general guideline for currently recognized JAOs in
the Jihad. Like everything, this guideline is flexible to some degree and
does not indicate an absolute position:

JAO:

Joinable:

Church of Saint Dino

Yes

M.A.U.L.

Yes

Maenads of the Holy Albino

Yes (Invite only)

OJP

Yes (Invite only)

Doberman Empire

No

Verthandic Rangers

No

The reader should note, while some orgs may appear as not in
conflict they are still denied. Specifically, it was a mutual decision by
Grand Admiral Marburger and the VR Councillors not to accept applications from
each others' organizations. Similarly, the Doberman Fleet Commander and the
Grand Admiral have an analogous agreement[12].
For a more detailed explanation, please see footnote 12.

?Do I have to be in Zeta Squad to do R&D?
No. All members of the Corps are free to design R&D and submit it
to Zeta Squadron's CO/XO. You should go to http://zeta.tres.jihad.net to
find out how to contact the CO/XO.
The approval process for R&D is as follows:

#1) Submit R&D to Admiral Svartalf or Captain Shadur#2) Revise as suggested#3) Submit to the Grand Admiral for final approval#4) Revise as suggested

In the event Zeta's command staff is unresponsive, members may skip
steps 1 and 2 and submit directly to the Grand Admiral. Most R&D which is
reasonable, logical, and has some basis in fact should be approved without
difficulty. Zeta is the primary hurdle in approval; the Grand Admiral
typically rubber-stamps Zeta-reviewed material, but likes to at least look
at things before they go public.